FOTJ Backlash dream
by emmett8D
Summary: This is heavily based on a dream I had.  Luke and Ben are defending the Bright Sun clan's encampment when something goes horribly, horribly wrong.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1**_

Luke and Ben stood atop the mountain, the enemies marching nearer. "Ben, you take the right side of the camp, I'll take the left, and Dyon," Luke said, turning to the man. "Dyon, you take the center." He could feel his son's nervousness through the Force and sent him reassurance. He clapped Ben on the shoulder and gave him a nod, watching him depart. Luke turned to the Dathomiri in the camp and divided them into three groups, each with a near-even number of Force users. Each group was given a spot to defend; left, right, and center. Luke took his post at the left side of the camp, feeling around in the Force. There were three lines of enemies arranged, all moving toward the mountain in an organized manner. "These aren't Nightsisters." Luke whispered, confused. He stretched out to Ben, alerting him of the danger. He felt his son reach back, letting Luke know he noticed the same thing.

Luke felt a prickle of danger and he turned to see the night sky light up in blue flame. "Rockets!" he spat. He looked at Ben's group to the rear. All three groups were preparing themselves for the blast. Nodding in approval, Luke turned to his group and instructed them to stand firm and try to redirect the rockets with the Force. Luke watched and took hold of as many rockets and he could and felt resistance. The enemy was guiding the rockets through the Force! With the help of all other Force users atop the mountain camp, the rockets were easily guided well below the camp. A loud rumble erupted as the rockets made contact with the side of the mountain, shaking loose many large boulders. They went tumbling down the mountain and Luke pushed them with the Force toward the front line. He felt Ben also reach out and push the boulders.

"Front line down!" Ben called. Several of the Dathomiri cheered with a new confidence. The Dathomiri without the Force were using whatever weapons they had against the advancing lines. Again, the sky was lit with the bright rockets and again, the Bright Sun clan maneuvered them to below the camp on the mountainside. The camp shook at the impact and a few boulders about half a meter in diameter came loose above the campsite. Luke, with a Force push, redirected the smaller boulders from doing any damage. "Ben, watch out behind you. The quakes are shaking the boulders loose." He sent a burst of calm and confidence to his son and each of the groups.

"Second line down!" one of the Dathomiri men called. In the chaos it was impossible to tell who it was.

The third line shot their rockets and Luke and the other Force users tried to redirect them. These rockets could not be moved. Luke noticed the rockets were not aimed at the camp, but above it. "Ben! Watch out!" He pointed to where the rockets were going to hit. Another set of rockets were launched. Luke's danger sense overwhelmed him as he began to understand what the rockets were aiming for. Clearly, the enemy had noticed the mountainside above the camp and was preparing to use that against the Bright Sun and Jedi groups. The first set of rockets hit home creating an immense groundquake and shortly after, the second set of rockets hit. "_Move_!" Luke shouted, his voice amplified by the Force. He saw Ben's group at the far right of the large mountaintop camp. The boulders, both immensely large and small, began to roll toward the right group: Ben's group. They were doomed. "Ben! Get out of there!" He sensed that Ben had heard him, but it was too late. Several large stones were hitting the ground, exploding as they crashed.

The Force was filled with silent panic as Luke watched the right and center groups scatter, screaming. He rushed forward, trying to stop the boulders with the Force. It was hopeless. "_Ben!_" He watched in horror as a rock about the size of his hand struck Ben in the head, knocking him backward. Ben stumbled, already unconscious, and Luke saw him fall over the edge of the mountain. His breath caught in his chest, panic and fear gripping him. "Ben! No!" He watched his son tumble down the mountainside, his tall form pelted with small rocks. Luke stretched out and slowed his son's descent to a stop and leapt off the campsite to Ben.

Landing at his side, he examined the head injury. Ben's red hair was matted to his head, blood covering his face and neck. It was serious. He felt several presences near him; the remaining enemies. With a father's urge to protect his son, he sent a powerful blast of force energy infused with lightning at them. They were thrown off their feet, spasming uncontrollably as the lightning hit them and soon he felt no life from them.

Turning back to Ben, he gingerly touched the long gash along his scalp. Reaching out in the Force for Ben's presence, he could feel it waning. _No. Ben, you're not leaving me here. You stay with me now._ Several of the Dathomiri were making their way down the mountainside to inspect the situation. Dyon came down and handed Luke a comlink.

"Use it to call your sister, Master Skywalker. Is she not still on Dathomir?" Dyon asked. He moved to kneel beside Ben's unconscious and bloody form. "She'll need to come quick if he's to recover with minimal brain damage."

Numbly, Luke nodded and commed Leia. "Leia? Han? Someone, _please_, pick up!" He tried to keep the fear from his voice, but he doubted it had worked.

"Luke? What's wrong?" It was Han. Luke assumed he was trying to keep the fear from his voice as well, but he had sensed it.

"I need you to get here _as fast as you can._ Ben's hurt. He's hurt really bad." He felt his eyes burning with tears that threatened to spill.

He heard the _Falcon_ start up. "Send us your coordinates. We're on our way. What happened?"

Luke sent the coordinates and ran his eyes over his son before replying. "There was an attack on the Bright Sun camp. They created a landslide and Ben was caught in it. He has a horrible head wound. He's unconscious, but alive . . . but I don't know how long that'll be. . ." Luke struggled to choke back a sob at the thought of losing his son.

"Luke, don't worry. He'll be okay. We're almost there. You can tell us more when we land." It was Leia's voice this time. "He's been through a lot. He'll be okay." She sent him reassurance through the Force and Luke saw the _Millennium Falcon_ approach and land not far from the camp.

He activated his lightsaber to indicate their location and watched Han and Leia depart with a hovergurney. Han looked visibly panicked, but Leia looked controlled. That is, until she came near and saw her nephew up close. Luke heard her gasp and her hand flew up to her mouth. "Ben. . ."

"Leia, Han. . . I . . . thank you for getting here so fast. Dyon says he'll need to be cared for soon if. . ." he trailed off, looking at Dyon to continue.

The man nodded and picked up where Luke left off. "If he is to recover with minimal brain damage. His skull's cracked and. . . ." he looked at Luke, apparently not sure if Luke wanted to hear the next bit of information. Luke nodded sadly, but he wanted to know what was wrong with his son. "And there are pieces of bone physically in his brain. There's already some damage, but I can't tell the extent. He'll need much care, surgery, and a lot of bacta. I'm not a doctor, obviously, but I've had some experience with head injuries around here."

Luke, Han, and Leia all nodded, taking in the information. Several Dathomiri had lifted Ben onto the hovergurney and brought him over to Luke. He looked at his son's limp form lying on the gurney and fell to his knees, sobs escaping his control. Leia came and rested a hand on his shoulder. She sent him calm and rested a hand on Ben's knee. "Luke. . . We have to take him to Coruscant. They have the best facilities there and the best surgeons. . ." She seemed to hesitate, but she let the sentence hang there.

Luke understood and his sister was right. Coruscant was known for its medical facilities among other things. He knew Ben would be cared for there, but he was reluctant to have his son so far from him in this state. He composed himself, wiping the tears from his face, and stood. "You're right, Leia. He does need to go to Coruscant. I wish there was some way I could go planetside and be there with him." He took a deep, steadying breath and turned to Han. "Take care of him."

Han took Luke in a surprising hug. "Kid, he'll be okay. Especially on Coruscant, and I'll make sure Jaina will be there if it'll make you feel better. I know he'd feel okay with her there." Luke imagined this sensitivity from Han was from the man's own experience of losing not one but _both_ of his sons and the sincere sense of family he had. Ben was his nephew, after all.

Luke agreed. "Yeah, he'd be okay with Jaina there." He turned and took the gurney and began to take it to the _Falcon_. "Can you take me back to the spaceport? I'd like to be with him as long as I can. . ."

Leia came up behind him followed closely by Han. "Of course." She turned to Dyon. "Would you mind coming with us and bringing a speeder? You and Luke can then come back after we leave." Luke watched Dyon nod and jog toward his speeder. Leia turned back to Luke and followed him up the boarding ramp of the _Falcon_.

Luke could sense Ben's Force presence grow a little stronger, but it faded back almost immediately. He was getting more nervous about his son's condition and wished his exile could be lifted while he looked after Ben. As he walked up the ramp, he heard C-3PO's whining servos and clanking footsteps against the bulkhead. R2-D2 was following after him whistling and tweeting wildly.

C-3PO shouted at Luke, "Oh, Master Luke! I am so sorry to hear of Master Ben's condition! I do hope he'll be all right." R2-D2 whistled behind him. "Oh, yes, Artoo, hush. I'm quite certain Master Ben will be all right. Won't he, Master Luke?" The droid's glowing visual receptors turned and stared at the bloody and battered Ben.

Luke lowered his head solemnly, fighting back tears. "Yes, Threepio. He'll be okay." Even to Luke the words sounded forced. He wished he could say them with confidence. He ushered the hovergurney into the sickbay and stopped next to it. "Ben . . . oh, Ben. . ." he whispered, clasping his son's limp, unresponsive hand. Luke felt the tears seep past his control. _I can't lose you, too, Ben._ He'd suffered so much the past thirty-odd years of his life, losing Ben might be the final breaking point for the old Jedi Grand Master.

Leia came and turned her brother toward her and wrapped him in a loving embrace. "Luke, we have to get going. We'll keep you updated every chance we get and he'll be okay." She kissed his forehead and handed him off to Han who took him and embraced him as well.

"Kid, Leia's right. We gotta go, but he'll be fine. Running around with you in no time." He led Luke to Dyon's speeder and walked back up the boarding ramp. He flashed his famous roguish smile as the ramp rose, sealing. Dyon pulled Luke onto the speeder.

"Ready to go?" Dyon asked. Without waiting for a formal reply from him, Dyon sped off. Luke watched the famous _Millennium Falcon_ take off with his injured son, a few stray tears streaking off his face as he turned to face the wind ahead.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

"Han, you just get us to Coruscant. I'll stay back here with Ben." Leia said. She rested a reassuring hand on Han's arm before gently nudging him toward the cockpit. She turned to face her battered nephew and walked toward him. His face was covered in dirt and blood. Leia pulled out her comlink to call Jaina.

"Mom? What's wrong?" Jaina's voice came over the comlink. She didn't sound too worried, but Leia knew her daughter well and picked up on what worry was in her voice.

Leia continued to stare at Ben, feeling his presence in the Force. "It's Ben." she said, her voice nearly cracking. "He's been hurt. Your father and I will be at Mon Mothma Memorial Medical Center in a few hours. Meet us there." Leia knew what the _Falcon_ was capable of speed-wise, but was unsure if it would be quick enough to help Ben.

Jaina didn't bother cover her worry this time. "Mom, what happened? Where's Uncle Luke?"

"Luke's still on Dathomir. He wishes he could be with Ben right now, but…his exile… And, well, Ben's not in good shape. I just hope we get to Coruscant in time…" Her sentence trailed off. She would not let anything happen to her nephew. She'd lost enough people in her life, she wasn't about to lose another.

Leia heard Jaina sigh and say, "Okay. I'll meet you at the medcenter. But you'll tell me everything there," and then the click signaling that she'd ended the call.

"Yes. I will." Leia said to the silent room. She walked over to one of the cabinets and took out a cloth to start washing Ben's face and his smaller cuts. As she examined him more closely, she noticed his shoulder was dislocated and his right ankle was purple and swelling. She carefully cleaned his face with the cloth and felt his Force presence dwindle a little. She reached out to him and gave him strength. "Stay strong, Ben. You're going to be okay."

A few hours later, the _Millennium Falcon_ landed and Leia watched Jaina rush up the boarding ramp to meet her and Han. Her eyes were filled with panic when she saw Ben. While Leia had cleaned his wounds as best she could, the white, blood-stained bandage on his head was quite a sight.

"Mom, what _happened_ to him?" she stepped out of the way of the hovergurney as Han ushered it down the ramp to the waiting med droids.

Leia wrapped an arm around her daughter's waist and walked in step behind Han. "I'll tell you shortly. Right now, we need to know what's going to happen to him." She watched the med droids quickly rush Ben into the building. They spoke to each other quickly and in a softer volume so it was more difficult to make out what they were saying.

"…we will need to conduct several scans. I do not know if he will make it…" one of the droids was saying. Leia decided to tune him out and turn her attention back on Jaina. Before she could say anything to her, Han walked up and pulled her into a surprising hug.

Jaina hugged him back and Leia thought she caught a glimpse of a tear roll down her husband's face. This was going to be a trying day, she felt. Together, the three Solos walked into the medcenter, preparing to face the obstacles they were to encounter.

Taking their seats in the waiting room, Leia, Han, and Jaina began to whisper about Ben's condition. Jaina was the first to speak.

"Guys, _please_ tell me what happened," she begged, worry burning in her brown eyes.

Han sighed and lowered his head, shaking it slowly. "Luke and Ben and their Dathomiri friends were attacked. There was a landslide and Ben got trapped in it. One of the rocks hit him pretty hard on the head and knocked him down the mountain…" he took a steadying breath before continuing. "He's got pieces of bone—"

"—in his brain," a mysterious voice replied behind them. Leia turned to look at the speaker and was surprised to see a young human male dressed in the stark white scrubs of a doctor. He smiled for a brief moment before introducing himself. "Am I to take it you're the Solos? I am Doctor Keedo. We've just finished all the scans and tests on the young man…" he glanced at his chart. "Ben Skywalker." He took a seat across from the Solos. "His shoulder has been set and his ankle is in a bacta cast and should be healed in a few days. Now, onto the main order of business… there are small fragments of bone in his brain. As far as I can tell, they haven't done _too_ much damage, but we'll see when he wakes up. I need to surgically remove the fragments. It's a risky procedure and it takes time. The way it works…"

Doctor Keedo explained the procedure to Han, Leia, and Jaina. Leia glanced over at Han, who, as the man continued to explain, appeared to have zoned out, his eyes glazed over. Turning her attention back to the doctor, she heard him mention something about observing the operation. "I'm sorry, what was that you said about observing?" she asked.

"Oh, we have an observation room above the operating room. It's normally reserved for other doctors and people of that sort, but in this case, you're welcome to watch. I understand the waiting room is not the most comforting place in a situation such as this. Of course, you can stay out here if you wish. I would suggest the waiting room if you have to make calls and such. Comm-silence is required anywhere near the operating room." He looked directly at Leia, who had turned to look at the floor. "Not to worry, ma'am. Witnessing an operation isn't as bad as it sounds," he said, clearly mistaking her reaction.

Han reached out and rested a hand on her knee. "I think we'll stay out here. His dad's gonna want to know what's going on." He then turned to Jaina. "Jaina, do you want to observe the operation? I'm sure if Ben felt a familiar presence, he'd be all right…" he offered quietly.

Jaina seemed to mull over the option for a moment, then nodded. "You're probably right. I'll go and observe," she replied. She sounded somewhat confident in her decision.

Doctor Keedo nodded. "I'll be back shortly," he said, and then got up and left the Solos alone in the waiting room.

Leia turned to Jaina. "That's very brave of you, honey," she said in a sweet tone that suggested she was honestly scared. She sighed. "I'm going to comm Luke…" she said absently. She took out her comlink. "Luke? Are you there?"

Immediately, Luke's voice came over the comm. "Leia! What's going on? Is he going to be okay?" his tone was filled with panic as he practically shouted.

"He's going into surgery shortly. Jaina's going to observe and I'm sure she'll tell you everything when he gets out of surgery. He also had a dislocated shoulder and what I'm pretty sure was a broken ankle. Both of those have been taken care of. Han and I will be in the waiting room if you need to contact us…" Leia explained.

She heard her brother sigh quietly. "Thanks. Do you know the extent of the brain damage yet?"

"No, not yet. We'll know when Ben wakes up after the operation… Luke, there's a strong chance he's going to be in a coma…" she practically whispered the last sentence. When Doctor Keedo was explaining the procedure, he had explained that often, with head injuries such as Ben's, the patient often slipped into a coma. The duration varied from a few days to several months. The longest he'd had experience with was two years.

Luke didn't reply for several seconds. "A…a coma? Did the doctor say for how long?" Leia heard his voice quiver.

Leia explained what Doctor Keedo had said when the doors behind them slid open and the doctor stood, beckoning Jaina to come with him. "The doctor is taking Jaina to the observation room now. We'll know more when the surgery's over…" she informed. She longed to wrap her brother in a hug and hold him. She wished this situation to be over and all their trouble to be behind them.

"Call me as soon as you know anything else." Luke urged and signed off.

Leia put her comlink back in her robes. She turned to Han who had his arms spread wide for her and she sat in his lap, curled into his chest, and let the sobs she'd been holding back take control.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

Jaina was guided through several sets of doors until she reached a set of transparisteel doors that opened to a small room with two rows of chairs arranged to face a wide viewport that overlooked the operating room. She followed a nurse into the room and sat in the front row so she could see Ben.

When she saw her cousin hooked up to several monitors and machines and a breathing tube, she felt the familiar sting of tears in her eyes. She quickly brushed them aside and sat propping her elbows on her knees to see the entire operating room.

She heard a rustle of fabric and a squeak of old leather as a young man of about twenty years sat next to her. His shaggy brown hair reminded her of her brothers' hair. He looked at her with an excited smile. "This is gonna be so cool. This surgeon's one of the best neurosurgeons in the _galaxy_ and _I_ get to watch him work!" he exclaimed quietly to her.

Jaina gave him an odd, confused look, and turned away from him. She stretched out to Ben in the Force and sent him strength and love. From behind the transparisteel, Ben looked pale and weak. Jaina imagined her uncle on Dathomir, struggling to focus on his mission and worrying about Ben. The young man on the operating table seemed a completely different person than the young man, her cousin. He seemed so small and vulnerable with all the tubes and bandages and machines.

The young man to her right, on the other hand, was becoming more annoying by the minute. He began to bounce his legs up and down with excited anticipation. Jaina reached over and rested a calming hand on his bouncing knee. "That's my cousin down there. If you don't mind, I'd like to observe in peace." She used her most diplomatic voice; the one she got from her mother, no doubt. Immediately, he stopped and gave her a meaningful look.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"It's okay." she cut him off. Below, Dr. Keedo walked in and examined his patient, holding his hand out for some type of cutting instrument. Jaina wasn't sure what it was.

The man to her right prepared to stand and held a hand out to Jaina. "My name's Thes. I…hope everything turns out all right for you."

Jaina shook his hand and before she could introduce herself, Thes stood and walked over to a new seat farther away. Jaina watched him sit, and then turned her attention back to the room below.

Leia had fallen asleep in his lap. Han shifted uncomfortably in the stiff, worn out seat. _You'd think a top-of-the-line medcenter would have comfortable chairs,_ he thought. As he shifted again, Leia stirred. He watched as she woke up, groggy, and rubbed the sleep from her beautiful brown eyes. "Morning, Princess." Han replied with a small smile he did not feel.

Leia looked around the room and Han assumed she had forgotten where they were. "Any news?" she asked, standing up and stretching.

Han shook his head. "Nothing yet…" While Leia napped, Han had been left to his thoughts, and at this point, his thoughts led him to dangerous conclusions.

Leia nodded and sat down in the chair next to Han. "It's been almost seven hours… I hope nothing's gone wrong," Leia said, absently playing with her hair. She shook her head. "No, Jaina would've let us know…" she countered, reassuring herself. Han reached over and smoothed her hair lovingly. He let his mind wander to Luke when the door behind him slid open revealing a tired looking Jaina. Han stood and waited impatiently for her to tell them what had happened.

Jaina walked to him and let him hold her in an embrace briefly. "That was one of the hardest things I've ever had to watch," was all she said before she sat next to Leia, resting her head against her mother's shoulder.

Leia wrapped one arm around Jaina's shoulder. "How'd it go?"

Jaina shook her head slowly while she explained everything that had happened in the long seven hours of surgery. A few times, Jaina had felt Ben's Force presence dwindle to almost nothing, but she continued to send him strength. "I thought he was going to…die… He almost did a few times…" She let her sentence trail off and closed her eyes.

Han looked at his daughter. She looked so tired and worn out. His eyes shifted to his wife and he wondered if she had felt Ben's presence diminish while she was sleeping. "Did the doc say anything about how the kid's doing or how the surgery went?" he asked quietly, his voice a small whisper.

Again, Jaina shook her head. "No. Ben had to be moved to the ICU quickly, so I didn't get a chance to talk to Dr. Keedo." She sounded tired, Han thought.

He turned as he heard footsteps behind him. Through the doors, Dr. Keedo appeared, tired but confident. He nodded at Han and took a seat across from the Solos as he had before. "Please, take a seat" he said to Han, motioning for him to sit down as well. As Han sat, Dr. Keedo continued. "Ben is still unconscious, but he is expected to awaken within the next few hours. There were a few problems during the operation, but none of them serious. From what I encountered, it appears his memory centers have been affected. Further damage will be revealed clearly when he awakens." He laid a hand on Jaina's knee. "Young lady, I assume you helped him through the surgery?"

Jaina nodded, offering a confused look. "Yeah, I did…"

Dr. Keedo nodded back. "I feel that if you hadn't been there, he might not have made it through the surgery. From my limited experience with Force users here, it appears that when a Force user is near the patient, the patient responds positively. Young lady, I think it's fair to claim you saved his life." He spoke to her as though he were Han's age, rather than closer to Jaina's age.

Dr. Keedo stood and patted Han on the shoulder before exiting the waiting room. He paused at the door. "It'll be an hour or so before you can visit him," he said, and left, the doors closing silently behind him.

As soon as the doctor left, Leia pulled out her comlink. "Luke?"

As before, Luke's voice came urgently over the comm. "Leia, what happened?"

"He's fine. He just got out of surgery…" she relayed what Dr. Keedo had informed them. Luke was silent for a few moments after Leia had finished talking.

"I was so worried… I felt him almost _die_… You said his memory has been affected?" he sounded distracted.

Han held his hand out for the comlink and Leia gave it to him. "Yeah. The doc said his memory centers have been affected and anything else will be revealed when he wakes up. Luke… I'm so sorry." Han lowered his head and handed to comlink back to Leia. He held back his tears as he sat beside his wife and listened to Jaina explain what had happened during Ben's surgery. He felt so bad for Luke, to be so many light years away from his son… It must be so _hard_.

Jaina clicked the comlink off and handed it back to Leia. She sat down in the empty seat between her parents. Han had noticed how vulnerable she looked at that moment. His mind flashed back to his children's younger years. He remembered when Anakin, Jacen, and Jaina would torment C-3PO…and when Chewbacca would carry each of them around the _Falcon_. Chewie had never complained…

Jaina leaned against Han's shoulder this time and closed her eyes, sighing lightly. She looked so worn out. He smoothed her hair gently, wrapping an arm around her as she fell asleep. Leia looked at him and offered a half smile. She walked over to Han's other side and sat next to him, nestling beneath his other arm. Han leaned his head so his cheek rested atop Leia's soft hair and they too fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

Leia heard the door behind them whine and slide open to reveal, once again, Dr. Keedo. His face was pale and dark bags hung under his eyes. He looked drained. Leia tested his Force-aura and felt that he was tired and worried. She turned gently so as not to disturb her sleeping husband and daughter. She cleared her throat quietly. "Dr. Keedo…" she acknowledged in a whisper.

He nodded, acknowledging her. "If you could, please wake up your family…" he said, his voice hoarse. He waited while Leia gently nudged Han and Jaina.

Han spoke first, sleep still in his voice. "What's up, Doc?"

Dr. Keedo sat, rubbing his palms against his pant legs. "Well, Mr. Solo, I have some news about Ben."

Han looked to Leia and mouthed _'Mister_ Solo?' but Leia ignored him and turned back to Dr. Keedo. "What's the news?"

Dr. Keedo nodded. "He's awake and appears very confused. He can't talk because of the ventilator but maybe that Force thing you do will help you communicate…" he said, sounding unsure. "We'll have to monitor him and make sure he remains stable but I'll be back when you can go see him…" He stood slowly and left the waiting room.

Leia turned to Han with a worried look filling her brown eyes. She leaned her head against his shoulder and felt a stray tear escape her control. Han wrapped her in a tight, comforting hug with his free arm and kissed her forehead.

"You should update Luke," Han said quietly. "He'll want to know what's going on…" As Leia nodded and stood, Han leaned his head against Jaina's and pulled her close.

Leia walked through the doors of the waiting room and nearly jumped out of her skin. "Jag!" she yelped, clearly surprised. She composed herself quickly, smoothing her hair. "What are you doing here?" she asked more quietly.

Jag offered a small smile and looked over Leia's shoulder at Jaina through the transparisteel. "Jaina commed me after she was told to come here. I was in a meeting off-world but I came as soon as I could…" he whispered back.

Leia nodded, understanding that Jaina would want him here if for nothing more than support. She laid a hand on his shoulder and let him go into the waiting room. She watched him as he went and sat next to her daughter while she pulled out her comlink. She wished she could use a holographic one but she knew Luke had no way of viewing it. She had to rely on audio alone. Luke's voice came immediately over the unit.

"Leia? What's the news?" he asked. He sounded drained.

"There'll be more to tell after we're allowed to visit him, but the doctor said he's awake but he's very confused. I suppose that's natural, though… He isn't able to talk due to the ventilator, so we can't communicate very effectively with him yet. The Force will be okay, but we can't actually talk to him."

Luke seemed to mull over the information before he asked, "When can you see him?"

"After they make sure he'll stay stable. I'll let you know everything as soon as I can. Oh, and Jag came, too. I thought that was sweet of him…" she added quickly at the end. She wasn't quite sure what to make of Jag's presence.

"Jaina asked him?" Luke asked, though Leia was sure he already knew the answer.

"Of course. Though I don't think he would have come if he didn't honestly care about Ben. A lot of people are concerned for him, Luke."

"So it's gotten out, then. I shouldn't be surprised. Have any press been by?"

Leia glanced around the hall she found herself in and stretched out in the Force to see if she could feel any disturbances. "Not that I know of. And with the _Falcon_ out on the landing platform, it's clear to anyone flying by that there's been some emergency in our family," she replied.

Luke cleared his throat. "I thought about that… I… I really want to be there for him…" His voice was thick as he tried to hold back sobs.

Leia felt tears sting her eyes. "Oh, Luke… I know this is so hard for you. How close can you get to Coruscant?"

"I don't know exactly, but not very close. There's an Academy on a few nearby planets and I have to stay at least a light year away from them… I _need_ to see him, Leia." She could hear the longing in his voice. "Do you have another comlink?"

Leia nodded, though Luke could not see it, and said, "What are you planning?"

"Do you have another comlink, Leia?" Luke urged.

"Yes, Luke, I do. What are you—Oh! The _Shadow_!" she exclaimed as she understood.

"Yes. The _Shadow_. I can see him…" he said, sounding hopeful.

"I'll talk to Han about it and get back to you as soon as I can. Can you get back to the _Shadow_?" Leia asked, noticing a small glitch in the plan.

"I don't have a choice. I need to see Ben. That takes precedence over everything." He was beginning to sound desperate, Leia thought.

"Over your duty there, Luke?"

"My duty as a father is more important than my duty as a Jedi. I _need_ to be there for him, Leia, even if I can't be _there_," he replied and signed off.

"Oh, Luke, I hope you're not making a mistake." Leia said, and walked back to the waiting room to talk to Han.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

Ben heard the faint voice he'd been hearing for the past few weeks in the back of his mind as he emerged from unconsciousness. The room was still blindingly white and blurry. He groaned slightly and felt a dry ache in his throat. "Ben? Ben, sweetie, can you hear me? You need to wake up…" He couldn't quite place the voice. He knew he'd heard it for years yet it was so familiar it was difficult to place. "Ben, _please_ wake up." At that, he immediately knew the voice.

"Mom?" he asked, his voice hoarse and cracking. Immediately, a soft, small hand was on his. Through blurry eyes, Ben began to make out the face of his Aunt Leia. He closed his eyes and sank back into his pillow. The voice had been so clear…

"Ben, are you okay?" he heard his aunt ask. There was a small click and a mechanical voice sounded from the wall. "Doctor, he's awake."

Ben opened his eyes again and tried to sit up only to be gently held down by the hands of his aunt. "Aunt Leia? What happened?" He tried to take in his surroundings. He was in a hospital, he knew that. He was able to discern that when he'd tried to awaken a few days ago and heard the beeping and soft whirs of machinery he assumed was keeping him alive. He felt an IV in one arm and a bacta cast on his ankle. Overall, he felt a little stiff, but he felt fine. As if he'd overslept…

Leia frowned for a brief nanosecond then a sincere smile played at the corners of her mouth. "Ben, it's so good to have you back. You've…been in a coma…these past four weeks…" She spoke slowly, as though speaking to a being who did not understand the language. He felt a flicker of worry in the Force from her.

"A…coma? How?" He tried to reach up and touch his head but his shoulder ached and protested so he lowered his hand beside him again.

"You and your father were on Dathomir fighting against the Nightsisters when a rock hit you and you fell down a steep, jagged hill… You dislocated your shoulder and broke your ankle and the rock hit your head so hard—"

"I think that's enough for now, Jedi Solo…" Doctor Keedo interrupted her. There was a hint of ice in his voice. "Young Ben has been through a tough trial. I'm going to need to run a few tests now that he's awake. But first, I think he'd like some water, am I right?" He looked over at Ben with a forced smile on his face.

Ben looked at him suspiciously, but nodded, trying to clear his throat. In truth, he was parched. Keedo snapped for a droid to bring Ben some water.

Once Ben had finished his four glasses of water, Doctor Keedo began asking him questions. At first, they started off simple. "Do you recognize the woman who was speaking to you when you woke up? Are you related to her? How so?" and so on. Ben wasn't sure these were entirely professional questions, but he answered them honestly. On the vidscreen in front of him flashed images of events, people, and places. Keedo asked several questions about each. The Jedi Temple on Coruscant, Yuuzhan Vong, The Swarm War, Admiral Daala… Finally, Keedo flashed an image that Ben had an immediate response to. Noting it, the doctor turned back to his datapad and asked the questions on the screen.

"Who is that?" Keedo demanded.

Ben was growing weary of answering these simple questions. "My mother."

"What's her name?"

"Mara. Mara Jade Skywalker. Can we be done here? I know all this stuff happened and that I'm a Jedi and that I have an important family and whatever else there is to know… I'm tired." Ben complained. He was starting to feel the dull ache in his mended shoulder and the small scar now marking above his left ear was beginning to bother him.

"I have a few more questions, and then we can be done for today. You've proven yourself so far. You're doing fantastic." He indicated the image once more. "What happened to your mother?"

The question caused Ben to furrow his brow. "What do you mean? Nothing happened to her… She and Dad are living on Coruscant and… What? Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, clearly confused and worried.

Keedo ran a hand through his now-messy hair and blew out a huff of air. "Ben… How old are you?" The look in Keedo's eyes and his Force aura confused Ben even more.

"I-I'm fourteen," he stuttered, growing more anxious by the second.

Keedo shook his head. "You're sixteen, Ben. And I _really_ hate to be the one to tell you this…"

Ben could feel the anguish rise within him as Doctor Keedo spoke the words.

"Your mother is dead…"


End file.
